The works ofWilliam Shakespearehave been adapted for the screen since cinema’s earliest days, even before people could even speak on screen. The first Shakespearean sound feature wasThe Taming of the Shrewin 1929, starringMary PickfordandDouglas Fairbanks, and nearly a century later, filmmakers continue to use the Bard’s plays for countless reinterpretations. His works will continue to be adapted, reimagined, and dissected on screens big and small as long as movies continue to be made. Because they are in the public domain, anyone has the ability to grab ahold of these beloved plays and make something with them. 2021 saw the latest high-profile release of a Shakespeare adaptation withJoel Coen’sThe Tragedy of Macbeth, starringDenzel WashingtonandFrances McDormand.
Hundreds of films have been made out of Shakespeare’s plays, and with this list, we will look at fifteen films that turned them into something special on the big screen. Some ground rules for this list. The films must utilize Shakespeare’s dialogue, as the gorgeous poetry and prose are crucial to his legacy. That means noWest Side Story, noRan, noThe Lion King, or any other film that just takes inspiration and does its own thing. Also, the UK has a long history of adapting these plays into television films and filming stage productions from the likes of the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Globe Theatre. These are also ineligible for this list, even if many are excellent (the RSC’s production ofThe Tempest, starringSimon Russell Beale, is a recent favorite). The fifteen films here are theatrical, textual adaptations of Shakespeare’s plays.
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15.Richard III(1995)
Sometimes all you want out of a Shakespeare adaptation is for a great actor to sink their teeth into one of the most iconic characters in the history of drama.Richard IIIfrom directorRichard Loncrainedelivers just that, withIan McKellentaking on the title role. As the archetypal direct address villain, McKellen brings so much joy to Richard’s cunning and wickedness. Every syllable that he utters feels drenched in delicious slime.
Based on a stage production directed byRichard Eyre, the film takes the events of the play out of its fifteenth-century setting and into a fictionalized 1930s England that mirrors the Nazi party of the era, with Richard as the Hitler stand-in. The metaphor is certainly clunky and on-the-nose, but McKellen makes it all worthwhile, alongside the top notch cast that includesAnnette Bening,Robert Downey Jr.,Maggie Smith,Jim Broadbent, andKristin Scott Thomas. It may not be the most challenging adaptation ofRichard IIIyou can get, but it is a rollicking good time.
14.Coriolanus(2011)
For as often as Shakespeare’s plays are performed, there are really only about a dozen classics that get done on a consistent basis.Coriolanusrarely finds its way to the stage. So, whenRalph Fiennesdecided to make his feature directorial debut, it came as a bit of a surprise he choseCoriolanus, a play never been adapted for the big screen before. Fiennes stars as the titular character, a Roman general elected to office with open contempt for the public. He and screenwriterJohn Logantransplant the play to the modern-day, shooting in Belgrade in place of Rome.
Where the political metaphor in Loncraine’sRichard IIIfeels blunt and obvious,Coriolanusmakes all the dots connect to today’s view of politicians, the media, and war. As is the case with so many Shakespeare adaptations, Fiennes recruits a cast of heavy hitters withBrian Cox,Vanessa Redgrave, andJessica Chastain. EvenGerard Butlerproves himself very worthy of the material as Coriolanus' chief adversary.Coriolanuswent criminally underseen upon release, not even cracking $1 million at the domestic box office, but it is a gem waiting to be uncovered.
13.A Midsummer Night’s Dream(1935)
In the 1930s, Warner Bros. was not known for grand prestige pictures. Warner Bros. trafficked in down and dirty gangster films likeThe Public EnemyandLittle Caesarand musicals, often directed and choreographed byBusby Berkeley. Taking on Shakespeare’s classic fantastical comedyA Midsummer Night’s Dreamwas far from what was made at that studio, but they decided to pump in a good chunk of change into bringing to the screen the vision of Austrian directorMax Reinhardt, who directed a production of the play at the Hollywood Bowl.
Collaborating withWilliam Dieterle, the result is a film ofA Midsummer Night’s Dreamthat delivers the beautiful opulence only classic Hollywood could afford. Lavish sets, mind blowing optical special effects, and an orchestra beautifully playingFelix Mendelssohn’s beloved score for the play. The cast of Warner Bros. players, includingJames Cagney,Mickey Rooney,Dick Powell, andOlivia de Havilland, are more of a mixed bag, but they are there to serve the gorgeous production, which still astounds 87 years later.
12.Henry V(1944)
The directorial debut fromLaurence Olivierhas a fairly unusual origin. Obviously, Olivier was (and, for many, still is) the king of Shakespeare, becoming a figurehead for the pinnacle of British theatre. For his first film,Winston Churchillcalled upon Olivier to create a film to glorify British triumph to boost morale during World War II, and the result is his rousing adaptation ofHenry V. Olivier, who also stars as the titular king, blends theatricality and cinema together in a very unique way, setting the first half-hour inside the Globe Theatre as a performance. Then, it expands out to highly stylized soundstage sets and eventually onto outdoor locations for a full battle sequence.
All of this is photographed in glorious Technicolor, creating vivid images we can only long for today. In terms of performance,Henry Vdoes fall into a bit of stuffiness that turns off so many people from engaging with Shakespeare in the first place, but Olivier makes it hard to take your eyes off him.Henry Vis a very successful film, both artistically and as wartime propaganda.
11.Julius Caesar(1953)
Many of us encounter Shakespeare for the first time in school, whether it be an English or drama class, and so much rests on that first teacher to either make you fall in love with the Bard or actively resist him for the rest of your life. Many people start withA Midsummer Night’s DreamorMacbeth, but my Freshman English teacher gave usJulius Caesar. Needless to say, it worked, hence you reading this list. A big reason it snapped into place was seeing the film directed byJoseph L. Mankiewicz.
In a lot of ways, reading the works of Shakespeare in class does not do a ton of good, because the medium in which they are meant to be seen is in performance. Watching actors likeMarlon Brando,James Mason, andJohn Gielgudperform this material with strong intention and clarity, inside this large Mankiewicz production, opened my fourteen-year-old eyes to something wonderful. The language became less daunting and transformed into beauty. The film isn’t terribly audacious or inventive, but it accomplishes exactly what it intends to do in creating a totally compelling, straightforward telling ofJulius Caesar.
10.Hamlet(1948)
One would think that tackling hallowed material like Shakespeare would be an easy route to Oscar gold, but Olivier’sHamletremains the only Shakespeare adaptation to win Best Picture. HisHamletstands in complete contrast with hisHenry V. Ashewing vivid Technicolor for stark black and white, Olivier makes the existential tale of the Danish prince seeking revenge for his father’s murder a moody, hazy piece, stripping away so much of the story’s politics. He dives headfirst into the play’s Oedipal readings – a popular interpretation for performance ever since – even castingEileen Herlieas Gertrude despite her being eleven years Olivier’s junior.
The production is far more minimal and perfectly matches the subdued, melancholy feeling pervading the entire picture. Olivier’sHamletputs psychology at the forefront, and the result is enchanting. A worthy representative as the sole Shakespearean Best Picture winner.
9.King Lear(1971)
Taking a page from Olivier’sHamletin capturing that moody black and white comes a difficult-to-track-down film.Peter Brook’sKing Learis possibly the bleakest film adaptation of a Shakespeare’s play. Like Loncraine’sRichard III, the main attraction for thisKing Learis to seePaul Scofieldtake on one of Shakespeare’s most challenging characters. Like the lead role, the film is cold and harsh, shot in snow-covered Denmark, making you feel the need to bundle up in a blanket. Scofield’s Lear manages the perfect balance of monstrosity and empathy without feeling like two different characters, and he never falls into the trap of trying to do too much. The film is in dire need of a proper restoration, as it is really only available in a compromised form on YouTube, and it truly deserves it.
8.Hamlet(1996)
Any list of the greatest Shakespeare films requiresKenneth Branagh, who single-handedly revived a populist interest in Shakespeare at the end of the 20th Century. His biggest swing, and one of the biggest swings of any kind in the last 30 years, is hisHamlet. Every movie adapted from Shakespeare has to make decisions on what to cut and change to acclimate to the form. Branagh chooses to not cut a single word fromHamletand shoots the four-hour epic in 70mm. Is it bloated? Yes. Are some of the big-name cameos in small parts distracting? Yes. Does it matter? Not really. The ambition on display is entrancing. Tackling the entire play allows all of the frequently cut political machinations to give entirely new dimensions to a story that alters the personal stakes we are so accustomed to. The chances of a film being made like this ever again are sadly slim to none. Cherish it.
7.Twelfth Night(1996)
1996 was a big year for Shakespeare. Not only did we get Branagh’sHamlet, but we also got a film many of you will be extremely mad is not on this list:Baz Luhrmann’s MTV inspiredWilliam Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet, a shrill exercise in bludgeoning an audience. Quietly, the best of the three is the one not trying to overwhelm you with its scale or style, that beingTwelfth Nightfrom acclaimed stage director (Les Misêrables,Cats) and former artistic director of the Royal Shakespeare CompanyTrevor Nunn. This incredibly romantic, lushly photographed, and quite funny film about gender performance starsImogen Stubbsas Viola, masquerading as a man under the service of Duke Orsino of Illyria (Toby Stephens) and caught in a romantic entanglement between her Duke and the object of his one-sided affections, Olivia (Helena Bonham Carter).
Populated with tremendous British character actors likeBen Kingsley,Imelda Staunton,Richard E. Grant, andNigel Hawthorne, this take onTwelfth Nightgets at so many of the play’s underlying themes about gender and sexuality without ever putting a fine point on any of it. It’s a smart, gorgeous rendering of one of Shakespeare’s most enjoyable plays and should not play second fiddle to those other two simultaneous releases in the slightest.
6.Titus(1999)
Some of Shakespeare’s earliest plays are a bit all over the place and don’t cohere into the most satisfying pieces, even with the still present poetry.Julie Taymorhit the ground running with her directorial debut of an early Shakespeare work,Titus(drop theAndronicus; it’s cleaner). Taymor is an artist who only knows how to take bold swings, and withTitus, she throws a lot at you, conceptualizing the play in a place free from time. Traditional Roman garb comfortably coexists with motorcycles.Elliot Goldenthal’s score incorporates genres from classical to electronic to alt-rock for a singular soundscape.
Anthony Hopkinsdelivers one of his finest performances in the title role with another cast of all-stars, featuringJessica Lange,Alan Cumming,Harry Lennix, andColm Feore. It’s bold, bloody, and beautiful. For some strange reason, it’s exceptionally difficult to get ahold of. Taymor has yet to matchTitusin her career, including another Shakespeare adaptation withThe Tempest, but one day she will strike gold again with the chances she takes.
